Pride & Prejudice Book Club Podcast

After months of avoiding spoilers, resisting the temptation to get a VPN, surviving the weekly release schedule, and impatiently waiting for BritBox to let us have more than three episodes, we’re finally talking about The Other Bennet Sister!

Suffice it to say… we’re in love 🥰

This week, we're diving into Episode One of the new BBC adaptation based on the novel by Janice Hadlow. We’re sharing first impressions, adaptation thoughts, favorite moments, unexpected emotions, and all of our completely normal reactions to finally getting to experience Mary Bennet’s story on screen.

And yes… THERE WILL BE SPOILERS (although this is Episode One, so no BIG spoilers).

Whether you’ve already started watching or you’re saving it for a future binge, come join us as we discuss family dynamics, Easter eggs, and why this series already feels like it was made by people who genuinely love Pride and Prejudice.

Also: tell us how your opinion on how often you want these episodes released!

Episode Credits:
🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis & Sharon Cortez
🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.
📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!
➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!
✍️ Apply To Be a Co-Host Here: https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/nerd

We're taking a slightly different turn this episode by welcoming fellow Austen enthusiast Janette Colon for a deep-dive conversation into the world of Pride and Prejudice itself, specifically the characters, relationships, adaptations, and tiny details that keep us returning to Jane Austen’s masterpiece again and again. We unpack everything from Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam’s friendship to Bingley’s confidence struggles, Mr. Bennet’s parenting failures, Sir William Lucas’s hidden perceptiveness, and why certain adaptations capture the spirit of Austen better than others.

It's not all about the boys, though! The conversation also wanders through favorite JAFF authors, book spreadsheets, forgotten Kindle reads, Mansfield Park frustrations, and the unique comfort of returning to Austen’s world year after year.

It's a deliciously nerdy conversation, and we can't wait to share it with you!

Episode Credits:
🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis, with guest Janette Colon
🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.
📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!
➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!
✍️ Apply To Be a Co-Host Here: https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/nerd

Longtime listeners may remember that we covered Seasons of Waiting years ago on the podcast, but after years of waiting (ha!), Sharon finally took the plunge and read it. Against all odds, this book actually made Sharon feel bad for Bingley!

Together we unpack Christina Morland’s beautifully layered, nonlinear story as it weaves through 25 years of heartbreak, missed opportunities, fractured relationships, and second chances. We discuss the devastating estrangement between Darcy and Bingley, Georgiana’s heartbreaking marriage struggles, the emotional weight of caregiving and family responsibility, and why older, wiser versions of Darcy and Elizabeth are so enjoyable.

Along the way, Sharon reflects on motherhood, friendship, vulnerability, and the surprising ways fiction can become a “safe mirror” for our own lives and relationships. We also talk about Will Darcy’s persistent attempts to connect with his uncle, Lizzy’s absolutely elite re-entrance scene at Netherfield, and why this book feels less like a simple romance and more like a tapestry of interconnected lives.

Plus: We declare the beginning of Hot Regency Summer and tease our upcoming review of The Other Bennet Sister. So much to look forward to!

Episode Credits:
🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis & Sharon Cortez
🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.
📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!
➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!
✍️ Apply To Be a Co-Host Here: https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/nerd

Have you ever wondered what Pride and Prejudice would be like if you combined it with...The Parent Trap?

No?

Well, prepare to be surprised!

Author Jayne Bamber returns to the podcast to celebrate the release of her newest novel, The Guardian Gambit, which just launched on April 29th and is now available on Kindle Unlimited. Inspired by The Parent Trap, this latest variation promises mistaken identities, long-lost connections, and plenty of romantic chaos, and we share just enough on the podcast to spark your curiosity (without giving too much away).

We also spend time diving into her recent release, The Sisters' Holiday, a Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility remix inspired by the movie The Holiday. We explore Jayne’s love of bold reinterpretations, from unexpected pairings and “spoiled by choice” heroines to villain redemption arcs that add surprising depth to familiar characters. We also talk about how shifting the stakes (whether through money, social standing, or simply giving characters more agency) opens up entirely new possibilities for romance, and how modern relationship expectations are subtly reshaping the way these stories are told.

Fair warning: this part of the conversation does include spoilers, so if that book is still on your TBR, you may want to circle back after reading!

Along the way, Jayne shares behind-the-scenes insights into her writing process, the joy of weaving together large casts of beloved characters, and why rom-com energy and nostalgia continue to influence the JAFF world in such fun and creative ways.

 

Episode Credits:

🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis

🎵 Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.

📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!

✍️ Apply To Be a Co-Host Here: https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/nerd

A grand estate. A brooding widower. A new wife arriving in the shadow of the one who came before. Sound familiar? Julie Cooper took the bones of Rebecca and rebuilt them at Pemberley, and the result is a fascinatingly atmospheric variation that's worth a closer look.

This week, Emilie is joined by listener and live book club regular Kelley Larsson, who loves Nameless for the slow burn, the rich imagery, and a Darcy she finds deeply, genuinely relatable. And thankfully for us, she came ready to talk about all of it!

We dig into the Rebecca connection, including what Julie Cooper was clearly inspired by, what she transformed, and why this Pemberley is so much darker than the one we know from canon. We explore the marriage of convenience plot (at least, from Elizabeth's perspective it is!), and the shocking Caroline Bingley twist. Plus, Aunt Gardiner delivers some great marital advice!

Fair warning: full spoilers for both Rebecca and Nameless throughout.

Episode Credits:

🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis and Kelley Larsson

🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.

📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!

Apply To Be a Co-Host Here: https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/nerd